Big TroubleMovie Reviews

Poster art for "Big Trouble."

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So-so
Avg. Critic Score: 47 out of 100 Mixed or average reviews Metascore® based on all critic reviews
Information for Parents:
15 Iffy for 15+
Read Common Sense Media review

Critic scores range from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating more favorable reviews.

  • 80
    Washington Post | Stephen Hunter

    This is, after all, the kind of movie in which traffic accidents not only mess up getaways but also liberate goats to wander through the airport. We need more of that stuff. Read full review

  • 80
    Washington Post | Michael O'Sullivan

    Zigging and zagging serenely between the extremes of deadpan, postmodern comedy and the antic, Max Sennett-style japery of yore. Read full review

  • 75
    Entertainment Weekly | Lisa Schwarzbaum

    There are stretches of big fun in Big Trouble, and little pleasures too. Read full review

  • 75
    USA Today | Claudia Puig

    The script is consistently humorous, even if a few punch lines are predictable and the wit is neither highbrow nor split-a-gut funny. Read full review

  • 63
    Chicago Sun-Times | Roger Ebert

    It's the kind of movie you can't quite recommend because it is all windup and not much of a pitch, yet you can't bring yourself to dislike it. Read full review

  • 50
    San Francisco Chronicle | Mick LaSalle

    It seems naive, almost delusional. Read full review

  • 50
    The New York Times | A.O. Scott

    The cast manages to maintain its dignity while sweat and dirt go flying around. Read full review

  • 50
    Los Angeles Times | Kenneth Turan

    A pleasant diversion, a lightly amusing criminal comedy with a plot so complicated even the people in it can't quite believe what's happening. Read full review

  • 40
    Variety | Joe Leydon

    A genially amusing ensemble farce that doesn't quite achieve enough momentum for liftoff. Read full review

  • 20
    Rolling Stone | Peter Travers

    The big problem with Big Trouble, despite a fine cast and director (Sonnenfeld made "Get Shorty" and "Men in Black"), is that the damn thing isn't funny. Read full review

View more reviews for Big Trouble on Metacritic

Information for Parents
Common Sense Media says Iffy for 15+ Sharp, funny movie for high schoolers and up.
What Parents Need to Know Parents need to know that this movie has comic violence (no one badly hurt), including shooting and scuffles. Characters lie, cheat, steal, smoke, drink, and use bad language. There are comic sexual situations (including a foot fetishist) and brief non-sexual nudity. The scenes involving airport security and a bomb on a plane, the reason the movie's release was delayed after the 9-11 terrorist attacks, may cause more twinges than laughter. The movie is at the upper end of the PG-13 rating, closer to an R.
  • Families can talk about the relationship between Matt and Eliot and between Jenny and her mother and step-father. They should also talk about the decision faced by the film-makers following September 11. Should they have changed the story, in addition to delaying the release?
What to watch for
  • violence false3 Violence: Comic peril, shooting, some injuries
  • sex false3 Sex: Sexual references and humor, brief nudity, toe-licking scene
  • language false5 Language: Strong language for a PG-13
  • consumerism false0 Consumerism: Not an issue
  • drugsalcoholtobacco false3 Drinking, drugs and smoking: Characters drink and smoke
An independent nonprofit dedicated to providing families the information they need to help kids thrive in a world of media and technology. © Common Sense Media Inc. 2010. All rights reserved.

Big Trouble Movie Ratings + Reviews

Fans say

So-so 181 fan reviews

Critics say

So-so See all critic reviews

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